Machine for compressing or briquetting coal or other material



July l, W%.

E. R. SUTCLIFFE MACHINE FOR CQMPRBSSING 0R BRIQUETTING COAL OR OTHERMATERIAL Filed Dec. 22, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 11, 192%. 1,499,487

E. R. SUTCLIFFE MACHINE FOR COMPRESSING 0R BRIQUETTING COAL OR OTHERMATERIAL Filed Dec. 22. 1.923

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 .liully 1, 19%. 11,499,487

E. R. SUTCLIFFE MACHINE FOR COMPRESSING OR BRIQUETTING GOAL ()3 OTHERMATERIAL Filed Dec. 22, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented .luly l, 1924.

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EDGAR HOUSE S'UTGLIFTEE, 0F LEIGH, ENG-LAND.

MACHINE FOR COMPRESSING O'R BRIQ'UETTING COAL OR OTHER MATERIAL.

Application filed December 22, 1923.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDGAR Rouse Sur- CLIFFE,a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Leigh,Lancashire, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Machines for Compressing or Briquetting Coal or Other Material, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for compressing or briquetting coalor other material, and for other purposes to which rolls operating underpressure are applicable.

The invention especially relates to machines of the type in which opencavities are formed on the peripheries of a pair of rolls rotating atthe same peripheral speed, and in which the cavities in the respectiverolls come successively into register, so that on material capable ofbeing consolidated by pressure being fed into position between therolls, briquettes or blocks are produced by compression of the materialwithin the cavities, and are discharged at that side of the rollsopposite to that at which the material is fed. The invention furtherrelates to that class of machine of the type described in which rollsare respectively supported in housings upon pairs of parallel tensionelements in such manner as to be relatively movable thereon in thelongitudinal direction, so that they may be applied one upon the otherwith adjustable pressure.

It is among the objects of the invention to apply high pressure betweenthe rolls with a view to ensure effective consolidation of material noteasily consolidated by pressure, to secure high efiiciency and output,and generally to construct a machine that is effective in operation.

The invention has further for its objects to effect consolidation ofcoal and other similar solid carbonaceous substances without a binder bythe reduction of the coal or other carbonaceous substance to a conditionof fineness before compression, and to render material in this finelydivided condition more suitable for consolidation, so as thus to produceblocks or briquettes that are hard and tough, from which de-gasified orcarbonized fuel may be so produced. .Vith reference to these objects,the invention may be employed in the production of fuel according tomethods, the subject-matter of Serial No. 682,266.

prior patents granted to me No. 1,267,711 of 1918,1550. 1,261,645 of1918 and No. 1,283,354 of 1918.

According to the invention the housing of each roll, which is requiredto have movement in the longitudinal direction of the parallel tensionelements, is pivotally connected to a link or links pivoted axially withreference to the shaft from which the roll is driven. Where necessary,means may be provided to accommodate the movement of the housing aboutthe said shaft and with reference to the tension elements.

The invention further comprises means whereby the driven gear wheel ofeach roll is maintained in engagement with the driving gear wheelthrough which the drive is transmitted, even when the rolls separate asthe material is pressed between them.

Presure is advantageously applied between the respective rolls of a pairin known manner by means of a hydraulic ram or rams. For this purpose,according to the invention, the parallel tension elements on each sideserve to connect the housing of the lower roll with a cross-head abovethe housing of the upper roll. The ram or rams act between the top ofthe housing of the upper roll and the cross-head, and thus tension isimposed upon the tension elements, by which the rolls may be subjectedto a predetermined pressure.

The invention further comprises also the constructional features whichare hereinafter described.

A construction of roll machine according to the invention isillustrated, by way of example, in the accompanying drawings in which-Figure 1 is a side elevation of the rolling machine.

Figure 2 is an end elevation corresponding to Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is a corresponding plan.

In carrying the invention into effect according to the constructionillustrated in the drawings, I provide a pair of rolls a a withcylindrical peripheries of the same diameter in rolling contact, uponwhichcavities a a are formed, advantageously at determined and equaldistances apart, and the rolls are geared in a manner such ashereinafter described, so as to rotate at the same peripheral speed, andso that the respective cavities a a on their peripheries successivelycome into register on the rotation of the rolls, whereby the material tobe operated upon may be compressed within the respective pairs ofcavities a a in register, and thus blocks or briquettes produced of ashape corresponding to the cavities. The cavities may have an oblongshape at the periphery of the rolls, and may be disposed across thecylindrical face of the rolls parallel with the axis of the rolls. Thesectional shape of the cavities in transverse planes is curvilinear, sothat thus blocks or briquettes may be produced similar to so-calledovoid briquettes.

Therolls a a may be so disposed that the plane passing through theiraxes lies at an angle such at to the horizontal. The lower. roll a willthus lie in front of the upper roll a, and the material to be pressed,agglomerated, or consolidated may be fed into position between the rollsabove the lower roll. The material may be fed by a .jigger feed, orotherwise, so that the content of air within the finely divided materialmay be very substantially reduced, as describedin the specification of aprior patent granted to me No. 1,288,354 of 1918. On the other side ofthe pair of rolls and beneath the upper roll a, means are advantageouslyprovided to guide, and to convey away, the blocks or briquettes upontheir production and discharge.

The rolls a a have their cylindrical peripheries of a width toaccommodate the cavities a a and are mounted upon shafts a? a thatextend on each side of the rolls. Theends ofthe shafts a a are carriedin housings b 17 disposed on each side of the rolls a a and the housingsfor the upper andlower rolls on the respective sides are connectedtogether by means of tension bolts 0 that are parallel and that aredisposed parallel with the plane passing through the adapted at thelower part for axes of the pair of rolls. The lower housing at each sideconsists of a block adapted at the upper part for the reception of thelower part b of the bearing in which the shaft a is supported in thehousing, and the top part Z2 of the bearing is held in position by meansof a cap Z2 bolted at each side to the block. Similarly the housing Z)for the upper roll a at each side consists of a. block the reception ofthe top part Z2 of the bearing in which the'shaft a of the upper roll issupported in the housing; the lower part b of the bear ing being alsoretained by'means of a cap 6 on the under-side of the block, which isbolted to the block at each side. The tension bolts 0 are provided atthe lower ends with nuts or collars c and pass through parallel holes inthe blocks constituting the upper and lower housings b b and extendthrough parallel holes in a cross-head d mounted immediately above theupper block or housing Z) and at their upper ends are provided with nuts0 by which the bolts 0 may be secured to the erosshead. The cross-head(Z at each side of the rolls may be formed or provided with a hydrauliccylinder cl having its axis disposed in the plane passing through theaxes of the rolls, and a ram e is mounted within the cylinder, whoselower end contacts with the top of the upper block or housing 7). Bysuch means a pre-determined hydraulic pressure may be maintained withinthe hydraulic cylinders on each side of the rolls whereby a very highpressure may be imposed between the peripheries of the rolls.

The lower housing or block Z1 at each side may be mounted upon a rod fcarried in a position parallel with the axes of the rolls, upon the baseframe g of the machine, so that thus it hinges thereon, in order toaccommodate the movement of the upper roll, or the lower housing orblock may be otherwise mounted for the same purpose. The upper housingor block b at each side is supported upon links it connected on thelower side of the housing and extending rearwardly and downwardlypreferably in a position at right angles to the central plane -of theconnected housings .7) b and the links h are at their opposite lowerends conveniently carried upon the gear shaft 1' that may, according tothe construction hereinafter described, be supported from the base frame9 of the machine in a position be neath and beside the upper blocks orhousings 6. Thus the weight of the rolls and the housings is taken inpart by the rod f in front and in part by the gear shaft 2' at the rear.

The machine may be driven by belt and pulley, and the drive may betransmitted by a toothed pinion and wheel 71- to a eountershaft 7: fromwhich in turn the drive is transmitted by toothed pinion Z1 and wheel 2'to the gear shaft i before referred to. The gear shaft 11 extendsbeneath and beside the upper housings or blocks Z), and is su ported ateach side thereof within upstanr ing parts 9 of the base frame of themachine. The drive is transmitted to the respective rolls from the gearshaft by means of toothed pinions and wheels, one pinion '1" gearingdirectly with a toothed wheel (1 mounted .upon the shaft at while theother pinion '5 gears with an intermediate toothed wheel Z which in turngears with the toothed wheel a mounted upon the shaft of the lower rollal Thus the speed is reduced in three stages. By such an arrangement ofthe driving gear the toothed wheels a a on the roll shafts aremaintained always in proper engagement with the driving gearnotwithstanding the separation of the rolls as the material is pressedbetween them.

liltl A machine such as described may be employed for the purpose ofcompressing the material to be eventually agglomerated or briquetted.For such a purpose the rolls may be provided with plain cylindricalperipheries, or rollers provided with cavities in the manner and for thepurposes described may be employed for pressing blocks or briquettes,which may be crushed or reduced again into material suitable for finalcompression into blocks or briquettes that are hard and tough. Whenusing for this purpose rolls having plain cylindrical peripheries, thematerial to be eventually agglomerated or briquetted may be positivelyfed into and through the space between the .pair of rolls, which may bemaintained at a de termined slight distance apart against the pressureto which the material is subjected in passing between the rolls. Againwhen blocks, briquettes or consolidated masses are produced, to be againreduced and repressed, a pair of rolls may be employed for crushing orreducing the first consolidated masses, and these rolls may be providedwith irregular peripheries by which the consolidated masses may becrushed or reduced on passage between the rolls.

Any other means than specifically before described may be employed toapply pressure between the rolls, that is to say instead of a hydraulicram, spiral springs may be provided adapted to apply pressure at theends of the shafts on which the rolls are mounted, and mechanical meansprovided to regulate the degree of pressure to be applied. It will,however, be understood that where relatively great pressures arerequired such for example as from 2 to 10 tons per square inch, it ispreferred to employ hydraulic rams in the manner described.

The means provided to guide and convey away the blocks or briquettes asthey are formed by the rolls may be of any suitable kind. Thus, atravelling belt or conveyor or a chute may be provided upon which orinto which the blocks or briquettes are received.

A machine of comparatively small size may be constructed to give anoutput of from 23 to 5 tons per hour or more, according to the speed ofoperation. For greater output the diameter of the rolls mayadvantageously be increased, or the rolls may be provided with aplurality of peripheral series of mould spaces or recesses for use inthe manner described.

A machine such as described, it will be understood, may be used as agrinding mill operating under heavy load, the rolls being provided of aform suitable for this purpose, it being understood that the method andmeans of supporting the rolls and of transmitting movement to the rollswill be the same as hereinbefore described. The invention is thusbroadly applicable for purposes to which rolls operating under pressureare applicable.

It will furthermore be understood that means are provided for effectingthe lubrication of the bearings, accessible from in front of the machineas indicated at m.

I claim:

1. A compressing or briquetting machine, comprising in combination apair of coacting rolls, housings supporting the said rolls, means forapplying pressure between the, said rolls, tension elements upon whichthe said housings together with the said rolls are relatively movableand through which pressure is applied, driving gear by which both rollsof the said pair are driven, and means comprising links for permittingin the operation of the machine the relative movement of the saidhousings together with their rolls, substantially as described.

2. A compressing or briquetting machine, comprising in combination apair of coacting rolls, housings supporting the said rolls, means forapplying pressure between the said rolls, tension elements upon whichthe said housings together with the said rolls are relatively movableand through which pressure is applied, driving gear by which both rollsof the said pair are driven, and means for permitting in the operationof the machine the relative movement of the said housings together withtheir rolls comprising links pivotally connected at one end to thehousings of one of the said rolls and at the other pivotally mountedupon the axis of a shaft from which the said roll is driven,substantially as described.

3. A compressing or briquetting machine comprising in combination a pairof coacting rolls disposed with the plane passing through their axes atan angle to the horizontal such as to dispose one roll in front of andbeneath the other, means for applying pressure between the said rolls,housing for the said rolls, tension element-s upon which the saidhousings together with the said rolls are relatively movable. drivinggear by which the rolls of the said pair are driven, means for thesupport and pivotal connection of the housings of the lower roll to abase plate, and means permitting in the operation of the machine of therelative movement of the upper roll and lower roll comprising linkspivotally connected to and supporting the housings of the upper roll,substantially as described.

4. A compressing or briquetting machine comprising in combination a pairof coacting rolls, housings supporting the said rolls, means forapplying pressure between the said rolls, tension elements upon whichthe said housings together with the said rolls are relatively movableand through which pressure is applied, driving gear by which I bothrolls of the said pair are driven, the

sald gear comprising a gear shaft, a pinion thereon, said pinion gearingwith a toothed Wheel on oneof the roll shafts, a second pinion on thesaid gear shaft gearing through an intermediate toothed Wheel With atoothed Wheel mounted upon the other r011 shaft, and means forpermitting in the operation of the machine the relative movement of thesaid housings together with their rolls comprising links pivotallyconneeted at one end to the housings of one of the said rolls and at theother pivotally mounted on the axis of the said gear shaft,substantially as described.

EDGAR ROUSE SUTCLIFFE.

